Camille Sebastien Nachet (1799-1881)
Camille Sebastien Nachet (1799-1881)

Camille Sébastian Nachet apprenticed in the shop of Vincent Chevalier 1833-1839.
After his apprenticeship was completed Camille opened a shop in Parisian at rue Boucher 1. He moved four times, ending at rue Serpente 16.
Camille Nachet originally made achromatic objectives for other Paris makers. However, in 1842 he started making microscopes. These were signed Nachet Opticien.

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Camile Nachet: Microscope No. 136, 1847-1853
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Nachet Opticien
Rue des Grands Augustins 1
Paris.
Jean Alfred Nachet (1831-1908)
Jean Alfred Nachet (1831-1908)

In 1847 Camille’s son, Jean Alfred joined the firm.

By 1862 the Nachet firm was run entirely by Jean Alfred. They continued to make high-quality microscopes including specialized instruments for chemical analysis and for polarized light microscopy. During this era instruments were first engraved Nachet et Fils.

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Camile & Alfred Nachet: Microscope No. 68 c1856
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NACHET ET FILS
rue Serpente 16, Paris
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Microscope petit modele, Microscope No. 350, c1872
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NACHET ET FILS
17 rue St. Severin. Paris
Nachet - Albert Nachet
Albert Nachet (1863-?). son of J-A Nachet.

Albert Nachet joined Jean Alfred in the 1890s. Around that time the firm began engraving their instruments Nachet

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Inverted microscope for chemical studies, Microscope No. 366, c1892
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NACHET
17 rue St Severin
PARIS
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Alfred Nachet: Microscope No. 267 c1885
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Nachet
17 St. Severin
Paris
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Polarized light microscope, Microscope No. 343, c1893
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NACHET
17. rue St. Severin
Paris

By the mid 1890s Jean Albert had assumed control of the Nachet firm. The instruments of that era were then engraved Nachet et Fils because Albert was still involved in the firm.

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Microscope portatif de voyage, Microscope No. 312, c1895
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Nachet & Fils
17 Rue St Sélverin
Paris
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Continental Microscope Model No. 5, Microscope No. 318, c1900
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NACHET ET FILS
17 rue St Severin
Paris

During this time the Nachet family collected historical microscopes. Their collection became one of the great historical collections of France. In 1929 Albert published the catalog of the Nachet collection. It was abandoned in the 1960s, but we are fortunate to have a number of instruments from the original collection.

Nachet - NachetCollection
Re-issue of the Nachet Collection published by Albert Nachet 1896.

Microscope makers associated with Nachet optical.

In 1830 Georges Oberhaeuser (1798–1868) formed an instrument firm in Paris with Trecourt and Bouquet. After 1835 Oberhaeuser worked alone until forming a partnership with his nephew E. Hartnack (est 1857). Oberhaeuser relinquished control of the firm to Hartnack. Hartnack partnered with Prazmowski. Bézu, Hauser, and Cie took over the Prazmowski firm c1883.

In the late 1890s Alfred and Albert took over the optical houses of Bézu, Hauser and Cie.

See this page by Brian Stevenson for detailed information regarding Bézu, Hauser, and Cie.

Georges Oberhauser (1798-1868)**
Georges Oberhauser (1798-1868)**
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Drum microscope by Oberhaeuser, c1850, Microscope No. 191
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Bouquette
9 Rue Rolling, 9
Paris
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Chevalier-type microscope manufactured and signed by Bouquette of Paris c1870, Microscope No. 314
Edmund Hartnack
Edmund Hartnack
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Hartnack and Prazmowski, c1880, Microscope No. 333
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Bézu, Hausser, & Cie
1, rue Bonaparte
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Bacteriology microscope by Bézu, Hausser & Cie, c1890, Microscope No. 316